"She always gets the good things; why must it be Tonia all the time?" Telma murmured within herself.
Tonia and Telma had been friends since childhood and that was because their parents were close friends even when distance separated them when their kids were in high school, one way or the other, they found their way back together and the children were reunited but unknown to Telma and her parents that Tonia is suffering from pancreatic cancer.
"Mom, did you know Tonia's father got her a car? A Toyota Camry for that matter. I wonder why her parents are indulging her so much; all she needs to do is ask, and it's hers. Being in a university doesn't mean she should be spoilt", Telma said, looking jealous.
"Are you jealous of your friend? If it's any of the two, I advise you to trash such feelings and focus on yourself. When the time is right for you, yours will come", Telma's mother replied and stood up to go inside her bedroom.
"Mom will never understand; why do I tell her in the first place?" Telma said and hissed.
The next day, Telma met Tonia at school as she drove herself to school in her new car. Immediately, Tonia alighted from her car., Telma, who had been waiting under a tree on their campus, saw Tonia's car. She approached and ran to her as she had seen the picture of the car when Tonia posted on her social media and also called Telma to share the good news with her.
"Hey girl, good morning; immediately I saw the car, I knew it was you. You are now a car owner, that's nice. So, was it your birthday, or why did your parents get a car for you?" Telma asked Tonia repeatedly.
"Telma, good morning; you are a bit early today; hope no problem?" Tonia asked.
"I don't have a car now; I have to leave home early in order not to be late", Telma replied.
"Anyways, to your question, my parents saw the stress is a bit much for me that's why they got me a car just for my convenience", Tonia replied.
"Let's go to the class we are getting late, we'll go and have fun after class. Let's drive round the town", Tonia further said with a smile.
Telma nodded in agreement with a stern face as she walked behind Tonia who was already on her way to their lecture room.
Telma is always jealous whenever she sees Tonia in her car; she always wants to enjoy the same privileges Tonia was enjoying, unknown to her the health predicament of Tonia.
During this period, Tonia is attending chemotherapy for the treatment of her cancer until it begins to weigh her down gradually, and she can no longer attend classes or go out at will. Telma didn't know Tonia had cancer; she thought Tonia was sick and would get better soon. Due to envy, Telma didn't deem it fit to visit her once to check on her health. Rather, she called her just twice during those trying times. Tonia's parent also didn't want to broadcast their daughter's illness, knowing fully that she couldn't be cured unless a miracle happened, which they had lost faith in.
Tonia's condition continued to deteriorate when Telma's parents visited; Tonia's parents didn't allow them to see her. Rather, they told them she had gone out and recuperated gradually. In the space of a few months, Telma only communicated with Tonia on phone calls until Tonia no longer pick her calls. But by then, Tonia's condition had worsened, and she lost her life to cancer. It was then Telma and her parents got to know that Tonia was being pampered because her days were numbered. Telma felt so bad and wished she had asked Tonia and cared for her more instead of being jealous of her and not showing concern when she was ill.
A month after Tonia's demise, Telma was still finding it difficult to move on as she claimed she did see Tonia in her dreams. One evening, she was walking along the hallway in school, and she heard footsteps behind her; she looked back but saw no one then she continued walking, but the sound of footsteps continued. She looked back the second time and saw no one. Then fear gripped her, and her mind went to Tonia. Telma started running along the hallway and bumped into one of the lecturers.
"Watch it, young lady, why are you in haste? Walk gently; don't go bumping into people like that", the lecturer warned, holding Telma, who is now jittering.
"I think I'm being followed, sir; I'm hearing footsteps behind. There was no one walking behind me," Telma said, looking very scared.
"I wouldn't want to say you are hallucinating, but take your mind off such things, take care" the lecturer replied and walked away.
Telma was uncomfortable, she had to skip other lectures and hurried home to inform her parents. On getting home, her parents were not back from their outing she had to sit in the living room because she was scared of the thoughts that she was being followed. On her parent's arrival, she narrated what happened to her in school to them and they didn't take her seriously.
Telma thought she was overthinking the demise of her friend Tonia, so she decided to get it off her mind. She decided to take a walk in the evening, and the same scenario repeated itself; she felt someone was following her. She ran back home but couldn't tell her parents because she knew they wouldn't believe her. This feeling of being followed persisted for months; she began to live in fear until she couldn't handle it anymore, and she had to voice out to her parents, who had been noticing strange acts of hers. She was taken to a therapist for her healing process which helped her to get rid of such thoughts in her mind.
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